Arielle Kayabaga bids farewell to city council to take on new role as London West MP

Kayabaga spoke at the beginning of the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting, before she resigns her council seat to take up a new seat in the federal government.

During her last meeting as London city councillor, Arielle Kayabaga thanked her fellow councillors and reflected on her time as the city’s representative for Ward 13.

Councillor Kayabaga spoke at the beginning of Tuesday night’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting, the night before she resigns her council seat to take up a new seat in the federal government.

This comes a week after she was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the London West riding.

“I will forever be grateful and honoured that people here chose me through ranked ballot to represent them,” she said.

Reflecting on her journey and life experiences which lead her to where she is today, Kayabaga talked about first immigrating to Canada as a refugee from Burundi when she was 10, living in social housing, and building her career as a young single mom.

“Change has been constant and something I have embraced throughout my personal and professional lives,” she said.

Kayabaga was first elected as the first Black woman to London city council in 2018.

During her three years on council, she passed a motion to include an anti-racist lens when looking at budgets, worked with fellow councillors to approve more funding for affordable housing and in making Dundas Street London’s first flex street.